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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bank · can · racket · hand · firm · spell · net · cap

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. net — after costs
  3. hand — help
  4. can — a tin
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bank — of a river
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. cap — a hat
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. spell — a short time
  15. can — to be able to
  16. firm — steady
  17. net — in sport
  18. spell — letters
  19. can — a tin
  20. net — for catching
  21. cap — of ice
  22. firm — a company
  23. cap — a lid
  24. firm — decided

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com